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Sparkling Wine: The Growth of this Category of Wine in South Africa Sarah Newton Assignment submitted in partial fulfilment for the Cape Wine Master Diploma January 2010

i

Abstract

This report provides details on the trends observed in various aspects of South Africa’s

sparkling wine industry between 1998 and 2008/9. It also provides brief overviews of the

production of Champagne, Methodé Cap Classique, carbonated sparkling wines and

sparkling wines made by other methods, commercially available on the South African market.

Sparkling wine, and in particular the premium wines made using the traditional method, is a

category of wine of growing significance in the South African market. Production, sales and

consumption have risen steadily and there is a proliferation of both local and imported brands

on the market.

As a category, Methodé Cap Classique has gone from strength to strength in production,

consumption, price and quality. Brut styled white wines predominate. Stellenbosch has

emerged as the leading area of production.

The category of carbonated sparkling wine has seen similar growth over the same time

period. Most of the wine available is sweet and white. The local market is dominated by a

handful of brands and most carbonated sparkling wine brands are produced in the Breede

River Valley area.

Domestic sales and consumption of both Methodé Cap Classique and carbonated sparkling

wines have steadily increased, as has the price per litre. The emerging black market, while

not yet a significant consumer of sparkling wine, needs to be developed.

In line with the trend for other exported South African wine, exports of sparkling wine have

increased. Imports of sparkling wine also increased between 1998 and 2008. Peaks in the

trend tend to correspond with peaks in Champagne exports, which comprise the largest

portion of imported sparkling wine.

Predicted trends for the future of the South African wine industry were positive. At the end of

the period under review however, the global economy began to go into recession. At the time

of writing, too little information was available to assess with any certainty the impact of this

on the trends of the future. It is likely that these will be positive for production, consumption,

sales and quality of sparkling wine. Developing the emerging black market will be critical.

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Table of Contents

Abstract i

List of Tables iv

List of Figures v

1. Introduction 1

2. Styles of Sparkling Wine Available in South Africa 2

2.1. Bottle Fermented (Traditional Method) Sparkling Wine 2

2.1.1. Champagne 3

2.1.1.1. Viticulture 3

2.1.1.2. Vinification 4

2.1.1.3. Styles 5

2.1.1.3.1. Vintage 5

2.1.1.3.2. Grape cultivar 6

2.1.1.3.3. Sugar level 6

2.1.2. Méthode Cap Classique 6

2.1.2.1. Viticulture 7

2.1.2.2. Vinification 7

2.1.2.3. Styles 7

2.1.2.3.1. Vintage 7

2.1.2.3.2. Grape cultivar 8

2.1.2.3.3. Sugar level 8

2.1.3. Other 8

2.1.3.1. French Sparking Wines (Crémant) 9

2.1.3.2. Spanish Sparkling Wines (Cava) 9

2.1.3.3. Italian Sparkling Wines (Spumante) 9

2.2. Carbonated Sparkling Wine 9

2.2.1. Viticulture 10

2.2.2. Vinification 10

2.2.3. Styles 11

2.3. Other Methods of Sparkling Wine Production 11

2.3.1. The Charmat Method 11

2.3.2. The Continuous Method 12

2.3.3. The Transfer Method 12

3. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Methodé Cap Classique 13

3.1. Trends in Styles Produced 13

3.2. Trends in Area of Production 17

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3.3. Trends in Quality 20

3.4. Summary 24

4. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Carbonated Wines 26

4.1. Trends in Styles Produced 26

4.2. Trends In Area of Production 30

4.3. Trends in Quality 33

4.4. Summary 35

5. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Wines made by other methods 36

6. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Domestic Sales and Consumption 38

6.1. Sales, Consumption and Price 38

6.2. The Emerging Black Market 42

6.3. Summary 43

7. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Exports and Imports 44

7.1. Exports 44

7.2. Imports 45

7.3. Summary 47

8. Trends in Sparkling Wine: The Future 48

9. Summary and conclusion 49

10. References 51

11. Acknowledgements 55

iv

List of Tables

Table 1: Styles of Cap Classique 14

Table 2: Areas of production of Cap Classique 18

Table 3: WINE Magazine Ratings of Cap Classique 20

Table 4: Veritas ratings of Cap Classique 21

Table 5: Styles of carbonated sparkling wine 27

Table 6: Areas of production of carbonated sparkling wine 31

Table 7: Veritas ratings of Sparkling wine 33

Table 8: Domestic sales and consumption of sparkling wine 38

Table 9: Price per litre of domestic sparkling wine 41

Table 10: Volume of sparkling wine exported 44

Table 11: Volumes of sparkling wine imported 46

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List of Figures

Figure 1: Flow diagram for vinification of bottle fermented sparkling wine 3

Figure 2: Flow diagram for vinification of carbonated sparkling wine 10

Figure 3: Overall trend in number of Cap Classique brands 15

Figure 4: Trends in styles of Cap Classique: all styles 16

Figure 5: Trends in styles of Cap Classique: Standard, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé 16

Figure 6: Trends in areas of production of Cap Classique 19

Figure 7: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: WINE Magazine (overall) 22

Figure 8: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: WINE Magazine 23

Figure 9: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: Veritas Awards 24

Figure 10: Overall trend in number of carbonated brands 28

Figure 11: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: all styles 28

Figure 12: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: Dry and Sweet White 29

Figure 13: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: Dry and Sweet Rosé 30

Figure 14: Trends in areas of production of carbonated sparkling wine 32

Figure 15: Trends in quality of carbonated sparkling wine: Veritas Awards 34

Figure 16: Trends in Charmat and Transfer method wines 36

Figure 17: Trends in domestic sales: total 39

Figure 18: Domestic sales of Cap Classique and other sparkling wine 40

Figure 19: Domestic per capita consumption of sparkling wine 40

Figure 20: Trends in the price per litre of sparkling wine 42

Figure 21: Trends in sparkling wine exports 45

Figure 22: Trends in sparkling wine imports 46

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1. Introduction

Sparkling wine, and in particular the premium wine made using the ‘Méthode Champenoise ’

or traditional method, is a category of wine of growing significance in the South African

market (Eedes, 2007B; Latimer, 2008).

While much has been written about the making of Champagne and Methodé Cap Classique,

relatively little information is available outside of statistical data and marketing studies about

the production and sales trends of these wines. The same is true for carbonated sparkling

wines, which comprise the bulk of the South African sparkling wine market.

In order to gain more insight into the South African market for sparkling wine, the objectives

of this study are to:

• Review the various styles of sparkling wines available in South Africa.

• Examine the local trends in this category since 1998.

• Examine the trends in exports and imports for this category since 1998.

• Discuss the reasons for and possible future of these trends.

For the purposes of this study, sparkling wine is defined as “wine carbonated (either by

fermentation or by impregnation with carbon dioxide) to the extent that the pressure in the

container in which it is sold is more than 300 kPa” (SAWIS, 2009).

Sources of information used to collate the raw data for the examination of trends were as

follows:

• Platter’s South African Wine Guide, editions from 1998 to 2009.

• WINE Magazine ratings for sparkling wine from 1998 to 2008.

• Veritas Awards for sparkling wine from 1998 to 2008.

• The South African Wine Industry Statistics, as published by South African Wine

Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS) from 1998 to 2009.

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2. Styles of Sparkling Wine Available in South Africa

This section provides an overview of the various methods of production and styles of

sparkling wine available in South Africa. For each method of production, a brief description of

the vinification is given. The different styles of wine that can be made using each method of

production are also described and, where applicable, special viticultural techniques are

described.

The various styles of wine have the following in common:

• Base wines are made by fermenting grapes (primary fermentation).

• Bubbles are introduced into the wine either by secondary fermentation or

carbonation.

Most of the methods described below use secondary fermentation to introduce bubbles into

the wine.

2.1. Bottle Fermented (Traditional Method) Sparkling Wine

This is arguably the most important method of producing sparkling wine. The method is

distinguished by the secondary fermentation occurring in the bottle in which the wine is to be

sold. The main steps in the basic process are given in Figure 1.

Where not specifically referenced, information for this section is taken from Dominé, 2004;

Halliday and Johnson, 1999; Hands and Hughes, 1997; Robinson, 1999 and Stevenson,

1999.

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Figure 1: Flow diagram for vinification of bottle fermented sparkling wine

2.1.1. Champagne

Although Champagne constitutes only about eight percent of the world’s sparkling wine

production (Wikipedia, 2009), these are the most famous sparkling wines in the world. As

required by the Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), Champagne is made

from grapes grown in a designated area in the north of France, using the traditional method

of vinification.

2.1.1.1. Viticulture

Champagne has a unique combination of a long cool growing season and chalky soils which

result in grapes with the requisite acidity and flavour components when ripe. Grape varieties

used are Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Yields are dictated by the appellation

contrôlée laws and harvesting is by hand in order to ensure whole bunches for pressing and

to avoid damage to the grapes.

Whole bunch pressing, selection of press juice, clarification

Primary fermentation May also include: malolactic fermentation, oaking

Adjustment of sugar; time on cork

Time on lees

Bottling: addition of yeast and sugar

Blending: different cultivars, vineyards, fermentation, vintages

Base wine

Cuvee

Secondary fermentation

Riddling and disgorgement

Release

Grapes

Juice

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2.1.1.2. Vinification

The grapes are whole bunch pressed and only the first pressing (two thousand and forty

litres per four tonnes, as specified by the appellation laws) is used for the base wine. The

wine may undergo oak treatment or malolactic fermentation, depending on the style to be

made.

Once the primary fermentation is complete and the wine has been stabilised and clarified,

the cuvée is blended. This is one of the most important aspects of making Champagne, as it

allows the various houses to create wines that are stylistically consistent across vintages,

where desired. The number of wines blended into the cuvée varies considerably and can be

as many as a few hundred. Wines from different grape cultivars, vineyards, vintages and

vinification methods can be combined to form the cuvée.

The final blend is then bottled under crown cap. Yeast and sugar (liqueur de tirage) are

added to allow the secondary fermentation. During this process, the carbon dioxide evolved

dissolves in the wine to eventually form the all-important bubbles once the bottle is opened

for consumption.

After the secondary fermentation is complete, the wine is allowed to spend a minimum of

fifteen months on the lees (and frequently much longer). The longer the wine spends on the

lees, the greater the complexity in the final product. It then undergoes riddling (or remuage).

Riddling is the process of moving the spent yeast cells into the neck of the bottle, so that they

can be removed, resulting in a clear wine. This is traditionally done by hand using A-shaped

wooden frames called pupitres; a process that is both labour intensive and time-consuming.

The Spanish invented an automated device which can handle many bottles at once, called a

gyropalette, which has significantly reduced the time involved. The bulk of Champagne is

riddled using these, although the hand method is still used in small operations and for special

wines. There have also been technological advances in yeast strains, methods of adding

yeast to the wine and bottle manufacture that have simplified this process.

The wine is then disgorged (degorged), either by hand or mechanically, by freezing the small

amount of wine and yeast in the neck and opening the bottle to expel the frozen pellet. The

sugar level (dosage), and occasionally the colour, of the wine is adjusted when the level of

wine in the bottles is topped up with the liqueur de expédition, a mixture of base wine and

sugar. A cork is then inserted into the bottle, along with a capsule (plaque de muselet) and a

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wire cage (muselet) to secure the cork. The wine is now ready for release, although some

producers may store the wine for a period (maturation on cork).

Very small and very large bottles are difficult to handle using the normal methods for

production. For these, the above method is slightly altered. After disgorgement, the wine is

transferred to a pressurised tank and the sugar level adjusted. The wine is then bottled under

pressure (Robinson, 1999).

2.1.1.3. Styles

The three main criteria for style in Champagne are vintage, grape cultivar and sugar level.

The sections below deal with the various styles of Champagne commercially available in

South Africa.

2.1.1.3.1. Vintage

Non-vintage wines comprise the bulk of Champagne. A Champagne house produces a non-

vintage wine to illustrate the house “style” and it is important that this wine be consistent from

year to year. These wines are always blended across vintages and are often blends of

different grapes. It is, however, permissible to bottle any of the styles listed under sections

2.1.1.3.2 and 2.1.1.3.3 as non-vintage. The minimum ageing period (on the lees) for non-

vintage Champagne is fifteen months. These wines are usually designed for immediate

consumption.

Vintage Champagne is produced from wine that is from a single vintage. In theory, only the

very best grapes from the best years are used to produce vintage Champagne. This style is

designed to reflect the character of the vintage in which it was made. As with non-vintage

wines, these can be made either as blends of cultivars or single cultivar wines. Most vintage

wines available in South Africa are produced as Brut. The minimum ageing period (on the

lees) for vintage Champagne is three years. These are wines that can be matured in the

bottle after release.

Prestige (or deluxe) brands are intended to be the pinnacle of the Champagne house’s

production. These are usually vintage wines, made from only the very best grapes.

Vinification is done using traditional methods. Some of these wines are stored on the lees for

longer than either the vintage or non-vintage (Coates, 2000). These wines are meant to have

ageing potential.

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Many of the Champagne houses represented in the South African market have a prestige

cuvée in their portfolio. These are typically the most expensive Champagnes on the South

African market. A couple of the better known examples of prestige Champagnes are Moët et

Chandon ’s Dom Perignon, Roederer’s Cristal and Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame.

2.1.1.3.2. Grape cultivar

A large proportion of Champagne is white wine blended from a combination of Chardonnay,

Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Blancs is made only from Chardonnay grapes,

although other grapes were permitted pre-Phylloxera. Very small plantings or Arbanne, Pinot

Blanc and Pinot Meslier still exist.

Blanc de Noirs is made only from Pinot Meunier and/or Pinot Noir grapes. The grapes are

handled very carefully in the vineyard and during pressing to avoid colouration of the wine.

Rosé can be made either from single cultivars or a blend of cultivars. It can be made as a

white wine, with the colour added as red wine during the wine top-up after disgorging, or as a

pink wine which then undergoes the secondary fermentation. The colour in the base wine is

either from skin contact with red grapes or from blending red and white wines.

2.1.1.3.3. Sugar level

Most Champagne is bottled as Brut, that is, with less than fifteen grams per litre of sugar.

Other styles of Champagne commercially available in South Africa include Brut Nature, also

called extra Brut, with less than three grams per litre of sugar (no dosage added) and Demi-

Sec, with between thirty three and fifty grams per litre of sugar.

2.1.2. Méthode Cap Classique

Methodé Cap Classique (Cap Classique or MCC) is the name used to refer to the South

African sparkling wines made by the ‘traditional method’. The term was coined in 1992 in

response to the ban on the use of the words ‘Champagne’ and ‘Champenoise ’ for anything

other than bottle fermented sparkling wine from the Champagne region (Cap Classique

Association).

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2.1.2.1. Viticulture

Viticultural practices for Cap Classique are similar to that for Champagne, with important

variations which are related to the differences in terroir. The South African producer of Cap

Classique has to find the fine line between picking grapes which are too green and grapes

which are too ripe. The former will result in wines with unpleasant green flavours and the

latter in flabby wines, which may have overbearing flavours. This optimal zone occurs

between seventeen and twenty degrees balling (Eedes, 2002B) and requires vines which are

in balance (Mossop, 2004).

There is no restriction on what grapes can be used for the production of Cap Classique. The

Cap Classique Association recommends the use of specific cultivars (Cap Classique

Association) such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. To date there are only very

small plantings of the last-mentioned and Pinotage can be used to fulfil the place of this

(Eedes, 2002A).

2.1.2.2. Vinification

Vinification of Cap Classique is that same as that for Champagne (Hands and Hughes,

1997), but the legal minimum time on the lees is nine months (South African Government,

1990). The Cap Classique Association recommends a minimum time of twelve months (Cap

Classique Association), but many producers allow their wines longer on the lees.

2.1.2.3. Styles

The main criteria for style in Cap Classique are vintage, grape cultivar and sugar level. The

sections below deal with the various styles of Cap Classique commercially available in South

Africa.

2.1.2.3.1. Vintage

Cap Classique is produced as both vintage and non-vintage wine. In South Africa, however,

the connotation of premium quality that is traditionally associated with vintage Champagne

does not really apply. Many producers of Cap Classique produce a wine which has a vintage

date every year, regardless of the relative quality of the wine.

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A handful of Cap Classique producers can also be considered to produce a prestige brand.

These are producers with a long history of producing quality Cap Classique, where the

prestige brand is a premium-priced wine carefully selected from the best vintages and grapes

and released after a considerable time on the lees. The better known examples are

Desiderius and Scintilla, both made by the House of J.C. Le Roux.

2.1.2.3.2. Grape cultivar

There is no restriction on the grape cultivars which can be used to produce Cap Classique,

however the majority of the wines are made from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir. Chenin

Blanc and Pinotage are among the more widely used of other grapes. Many Cap Classique

wines are blend of different grape cultivars.

As with Champagne, Blanc de Blancs is made only from white grapes and Blanc de Noirs is

made only from red grapes. The latter term, however, is not widely used. For single cultivar

wines, Cap Classique is also sometimes labelled with the grape cultivar, rather than a

stylistic name. Rosé Cap Classique is made like Rosé Champagne. Many of the pink Cap

Classique wines are made only from red grapes.

2.1.2.3.3. Sugar level

Most Cap Classique is bottled as Brut, that is, with less than fifteen grams per litre of sugar.

Other styles of Cap Classique commercially available in South Africa include a couple of Brut

Nature (zero dosage) wines, with less than three grams per litre sugar. There are a few off-

dry (the official classification is “Dry” or Sec) to semi-sweet (Demi-sec) wines, with seventeen

to thirty five and thirty three to fifty grams per litre of sugar, respectively (South African

Government, 1990).

2.1.3. Other

This section will cover, very briefly, various sparkling wines made in the traditional method,

other than Champagne and Cap Classique, readily available on the South African market.

Wines not listed here include certain other regions in France and Europe as well as those

produced in Asia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South America and the United States of

America.

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2.1.3.1. French Sparking Wines (Crémant)

Crémant de Bourgogne is made from predominantly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with

Aligoté, Gamay, and other grape cultivars (Wikipedia, 2009). A variety of styles of Brut

Crémant de Bourgogne can be found in South Africa, including Blanc de Blancs and Blanc

de Noir.

Crémant de Loire is made predominantly from Chenin Blanc, with Cabernet Franc,

Chardonnay, Gamay and others. Some of these sparkling wines are still bottled under the old

Appellations such as Vouvray and Saumur (Wikipedia, 2009). The wines found in South

Africa are usually white sparkling wines with Brut sugar levels.

2.1.3.2. Spanish Sparkling Wines (Cava)

Cava is made from the Spanish grapes Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello as well as

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and a few other cultivars. Cava is available as non-vintage and

vintage Brut, Rosé, and sweeter sparkling wine.

2.1.3.3. Italian Sparkling Wines (Spumante)

Italian sparkling wines made using the traditional method contain mainly Chardonnay, Pinot

Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes. Bottle fermented sparkling wines are made mainly in

the Franciacorta and Trento appellations, where the use of the word ‘Spumante’ on labels is

no longer prevalent (Robinson, 1999). Vintage and non-vintage white and Rosé wines are

available.

2.2. Carbonated Sparkling Wine

By far the greatest volume of sparkling wine sold in South Africa is made using carbonation

as the method of introducing the bubbles into the wine (SAWIS, 2009). Carbon dioxide is

introduced into the wine under pressure. While this is a widely used method of production in

South Africa, according to Robinson (1999) only approximately ten percent of sparkling wine

worldwide is made using carbonation. Consequently, viticulture and vinification will only be

discussed for this country.

The main steps in the basic process are given in Figure 2 below.

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Figure 2: Flow diagram for vinification of carbonated sparkling wine

2.2.1. Viticulture

Viticulture for carbonated sparkling wines is practised with the same aim as that for sparkling

wines made by the traditional method (Rankine, 2002). The requirement is for must with high

acidity, low pH and lower than normal content of flavour components (Halliday and Johnson,

1999), although sugar levels are usually higher. There is no restriction for the grape cultivars

used for carbonated sparkling wine. Cultivars frequently used include Chardonnay, Chenin

Blanc, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc and the Muscat family.

2.2.2. Vinification

The base wine for the production of sparkling wines using the carbonation method is made in

a similar way to that for Cap Classique. The final wine should have clean fruit character.

There must also be no off odours or flavours, which would be enhanced by the effervescence

(Rankine, 2002; Eedes 2004).

Unlike sparkling wines by other methods, the sugar levels for carbonated sparkling wine are

adjusted before the introduction of carbon dioxide (Kench et al, 1983). The wine is

transferred to a tank under a blanket of carbon dioxide and chilled to zero degrees Celsius.

Stabilisation Sweetening as requi red Chilling to 0oC To tank under pressure

Carbonation during bottling

Primary fermentation, clarification

Crushing, clarification

Base wine

Bottling

Grapes

Juice

Carbonation

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The cold wine is passed though a carbonator and then stored under pressure to allow for

complete absorption of the carbon dioxide. Finally, the wine is bottled under pressure

(Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2009; Rankine, 2002)

2.2.3. Styles

The styles of carbonated sparkling wine are differentiated by colour and sugar level. The

wines can be white, pink or red. White carbonated sparkling wines are made using white

grape cultivars. Pink wines are usually made by blending red and white wine, although some

of the better wines are made from red grape cultivars only. Red carbonated sparkling wines

are made from red grapes.

Carbonated sparkling wines can be produced with the following residual sugar levels (South

African Government, 1990):

• Extra Brut: less than six grams per litre.

• Brut: less than fifteen grams per litre.

• Extra Dry: between twelve and twenty grams per litre.

• Dry (Sec): between seventeen and thirty-five grams per litre.

• Semi-Sweet: between thirty-three and fifty grams per litre.

• Sweet (Doux): more than fifty grams per litre.

2.3. Other Methods of Sparkl ing Wine Production

The traditional method and carbonation are the most important methods of sparkling wine

production in South Africa. There are also wines available on the market (both local and

imported) made using other methods. These are briefly described in this section.

2.3.1. The Charmat Method

This is also called the tank or cuvée close method. The base wine is vinified in the same way

as for the traditional method. The second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank.

Once this is complete, the wine is chilled to below zero degrees Celsius to facilitate

absorption of the carbon dioxide. The wine is then removed off the lees to a second tank

where the sugar level is adjusted. It is then clarified (usually by filtration) and bottled under

pressure (Rankine, 2002; Robinson, 1999).

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The Charmat method is widely used in Italy to produced wines such as Asti Spumante and

Prosecco. The greater proportion of German Sekt is also produced using this method

(Dominé, 2004; Robinson, 1999; Stevenson, 1999). The less expensive sparkling wines in

Australia and the United States of America are also made using the Charmat method

(Wikipedia, 2009).

2.3.2. The Continuous Method

The continuous method is a variation of the Charmat method as described above.

Several (usually five) linked, pressurised tanks are used. In the first tank, yeast and sugar

are continuously added to the base wine for the second fermentation. The next two tanks

contain some material that will allow the dead yeasts cell to accumulate. This allows for both

lees contact for the wine and clarification of the wine. The next two tanks are used for further

clarification of the wine. Bottling is done continuously (Rankine, 2002; Robinson, 1999).

The continuous method was developed in the (then) USSR and is also used in Germany and

Portugal (Rankine, 2002; Robinson, 1999).

2.3.3. The Transfer Method

Up to the point where the wine is ready to be disgorged, the transfer method is identical to

the traditional method. The bottles are chilled and the contents transferred to tank under

pressure. The wine is filtered and the sugar level adjusted before bottling under pressure into

fresh bottles (Robinson, 1999).

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3. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Methodé Cap Classique

This section deals with the examination of trends in Cap Classique production and perceived

quality.

The data was drawn from the following sources:

• Platter’s South African Wine Guide, 1998 to 2009.

• South African Wine Industry Statistics, 1998 to 2009.

• Veritas Awards, 1998 to 2008.

• WINE Magazine, 1998 to 2008.

Data was captured as provided by the various sources. It has been assumed that the data is

free of omissions and errors. Unless otherwise specified, the data refers to the number of

sparkling wine brands exhibiting a given characteristic. Where necessary, data was

recalculated to percentage or different units of reporting to facilitate use and understanding.

As far as possible, data is tabulated and presented graphically. It should be noted that the

relatively small numbers involved mean that a small fluctuation in the number of brands may

show an apparently significant fluctuation in the trends.

3.1. Trends in Styles Produced

The objective of this section is to identify whether there are any definite trends to be

observed in the styles of Cap Classique produced since 1998.

All data was drawn from the Platter’s South African Wine Guide from the 1998 edition to the

2009 edition. Where the author knew certainly otherwise, rectifications were made for

omissions and errors.

For the purposes of this section, the following conventions were adopted:

• The wines were divided into the following style categories:

o Standard: any wine which did not fit into one of the following categories.

o Blanc de Blancs: any Cap Classique made from all white grape varieties.

o Rosé: any pink Cap Classique.

o Sweet: any Cap Classique with a sugar level above fifteen grams per litre.

o Red: any red Cap Classique.

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• Vintage dated Cap Classique was not given a separate category, as a large

proportion of the wines are bottled with a vintage date, regardless of the quality of the

wine.

• In order to simplify presentation of the data, prestige brands are not detailed in a

separate category.

A summary of the data is presented in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Styles of Cap Classique

Year Style as number of brands

Standard Blanc de Blancs

Rosé Sweet Red

1998 29 9 5 0 0

1999 32 8 4 0 0

2000 30 9 4 1 2

2001 34 10 4 1 2

2002 33 10 4 1 2

2003 34 12 5 1 2

2004 38 9 6 1 0

2005 35 14 5 2 0

2006 38 19 5 2 0

2007 42 21 9 3 1

2008 48 22 12 3 1

2009 58 25 14 3 1

It is clear from the table above that Cap Classique made in the Brut style from a blend of red

and white cultivars comprises the largest number of these wines produced in South Africa.

This varies between fifty-five and seventy-five percent of the total brands. Blanc de Blancs is

the second largest category, at between seventeen and thirty percent of the total brands,

followed by Rosé at between seven and a half and fourteen percent of the total brands.

While sweet Cap Classique may comprise a significant part of domestic sales by volume, as

a style category, it is relatively insignificant, with only a maximum of three brands (Graham

Beck Bliss, J.C. Le Roux La Vallée and Simonsig Encore) on the market at any one time in

the period under review. Red Cap Classique is the smallest category of all, with only a

maximum of two brands on the market at any point in time.

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The trend in the total production is illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Overall trend in number of Cap Classique brands

There has been a one hundred and thirty-five percent increase in the number of brands of

Cap Classique available in the twelve year period under review. The trend shows a gradual

increase up to 2005 and becomes increasingly steep in subsequent years.

This follows general trends in South African wine production (SAWIS, 2009), although the

overall changes for Cap Classique are greater. It also agrees with perceptions that more Cap

Classique is being consumed (Eedes, 2007A; Eedes 2008; Hughes, 2005; McDonald, 2006),

as it is unlikely that there would be increased production without increased demand. The

increased demand for Cap Classique can be attributed to the global phenomenon of

’premiumisation‘; education of consumers by bodies such as the Cap Classique Association;

and successful campaigns which focus on marketing sparkling wine as a lifestyle product

rather than a celebratory one (Bottega, 2009; Eedes, 2007A; Latimer, 2008; Eedes, 2007B,

Eedes 2008; Latimer, 2008).

The trends in the various styles of Cap Classique are illustrated in Figure 4 and 5 below.

Figure 4 shows the information for all styles of the wine. Figure 5 shows the trends in the

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

16

number of brands available for “Standard”, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé Cap Classique only, in

order to more clearly demonstrate the trends for these styles.

Figure 4: Trends in styles of Cap Classique: all styles

The dominance of the “Standard” style of Cap Classique is clear, as is the relative

insignificance of the Sweet and Red brands relative to the total number of brands.

Figure 5: Trends in styles of Cap Classique: Standard, Blanc de Blancs and Rosé

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

No.

Bra

nds

Year

StandardBlanc de BlancsRoséSweetRed

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

No

. Bra

nd

s

Year

Standard

Blanc de Blancs

Rosé

17

All three styles show some fluctuation prior to 2005. Subsequent to 2005, all three styles

show a constant increasing trend, which is least steep for Blanc de Blancs. The steepest

increase of all is the eighty percent jump in the number of Rosé brands between 2006 and

2007 which reflects the growing popularity of all Rosé wines worldwide (Lourens, 2007;

Hughes, 2005).

While they are not included as a separate category in the tabulated and graphical data given

above, there are five brands of Cap Classique that could arguably be described as Prestige

brands. Only one of these, Simonsig Cuvée Royale, has been made throughout the twelve

year period under review. Two, Pongracz Desiderius and J.C. Le Roux Scintilla, were

introduced in the early to mid-2000’s. Subsequent to this there was a five year hiatus, before

the introduction of another two wines, House of Krone Nicolas Charles Krone Marque 1 and

Graham Beck Cuvée Clive in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

3.2. Trends in Area of Producti on


observed in the areas in which Cap Classique has been produced since 1998.

All data was drawn from the Platter’s South African Wine Guide from the 1998 edition to the

2009 edition. Where the author knew certainly otherwise, rectifications were made for

omissions and errors.


• Where no information was available about the origin of the wine, it was taken to be of

origin Western Cape.

• The following abbreviations are used for areas:

o Const: Constantia, Durbanville and Hout Bay.

o F’hoek: Franschhoek.

o Paarl: Paarl.

o Rob: Robertson.

o Stell: Stellenbosch.

o Wor: Worcester.

o WC: Western Cape.

o Other: Darling, Elgin, Napier, Plettenberg Bay, Tulbagh, Walker Bay.

18

A summary of the data is presented in Table 2 below. Table 2: Areas of production of Cap Classique

Year Area of production as number of brands

Const F'hoek Paarl Rob Stell Wor WC Other

1998 2 8 2 6 15 0 6 3

1999 3 11 4 6 15 0 4 2

2000 4 10 3 6 16 0 6 1

2001 5 10 4 6 18 0 6 2

2002 4 12 4 5 16 0 8 1

2003 4 13 4 5 16 0 10 2

2004 5 12 3 5 17 1 10 1

2005 6 11 2 7 17 1 10 2

2006 6 12 4 7 20 1 10 4

2007 8 12 5 9 22 1 10 8

2008 10 15 6 9 25 3 9 9

2009 9 17 7 14 27 3 12 10

The majority of Cap Classique brands are produced in Stellenbosch, with Franschhoek

having the second most brands. Other regions such as Constantia, Paarl and Robertson all

produce small but increasingly significant numbers of brands. The relatively high number of

brands listed as origin Western Cape can be attributed to wine producers such as Distell. It is

important to note that these figures may be skewed by the number of producers who make

more than one brand and/or style of Cap Classique, such as Villiera, Cabrière and Graham

Beck.

The trends in the area of production of Cap Classique are illustrated in Figure 6 below.

All areas show fluctuations in the trends prior to 2006. Subsequent years show a general

trend of increasing number of brands for all areas. The dominance of Stellenbosch as

production area is marked. This reflects the general dominance of the area in quality wine

production in South Africa.

19

Figure 6: Trends in areas of production of Cap Classique

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

ConstF'hoekPaarlRobStellW orW COther

20

3.3. Trends in Quality


observed in perceived quality of Cap Classique produced since 1998.

All data was drawn from WINE Magazine category tastings, 1998-2008 and the Veritas

Awards, 1998-2008. At the time of writing, 2009 data was not available. It is assumed that

data is free of omissions and errors.


• Star ratings and medals were converted to the equivalent score on the 20-point

system.

• For the WINE Magazine ratings, percentages are of the total wines submitted.

• For the Veritas ratings, data was not converted to percentages as the information

regarding the total number of wines was not available.

A summary of the data is presented in Tables 3 and 4 below.

Table 3: WINE Magazine Ratings of Cap Classique

Number of wines scored (%)

Star Rating 4.5« 4« 3.5« 3« 2.5« 2« 1« 0«

Score 17-18 16-17 15.5-16 15-15.5 14.5-15 14-14.5 13-14 <13

1998 0.0 13.8 13.8 27.6 0.0 31.0 10.3 3.4

1999 0.0 6.9 3.4 24.1 6.9 44.8 13.8 0.0

2000 2.8 22.2 11.1 25.0 0.0 30.6 5.6 2.8

2001 2.3 16.3 27.9 25.6 14.0 9.3 4.7 0.0

2002 6.7 20.0 28.9 26.7 11.1 4.4 2.2 0.0

2003 0.0 21.6 18.9 29.7 10.8 8.1 10.8 0.0

2004 2.2 28.9 20.0 22.2 22.2 4.4 0.0 0.0

2005 2.3 20.5 15.9 27.3 6.8 20.5 4.5 2.3

2006 4.0 18.0 16.0 20.0 14.0 18.0 6.0 4.0

2007 2.2 13.0 21.7 21.7 19.6 10.9 10.9 0.0

2008 0.0 6.3 16.7 37.5 8.3 20.8 6.3 4.2

21

Table 4: Veritas ratings of Cap Classique

Number of wines awarded Medal Double Gold Gold Silver Bronze Total Score 17+ 17 16 15

1998 1 0 8 2 11 1999 1 5 8 0 14 2000 1 3 4 0 8 2001 1 4 1 0 6 2002 2 2 9 6 19 2003 1 2 4 10 17 2004 1 3 11 7 22 2005 0 4 8 8 20 2006 1 4 9 9 23 2007 0 3 13 6 22 2008 0 1 11 7 19

Both WINE Magazine and the Veritas Awards have had category tastings for Cap Classique

over the eleven years under review. Until the inauguration of the Cap Classique Challenge in

2002, the WINE Magazine category tasting at times included Champagne and other

sparkling wines. The Veritas category has always included other South African sparkling

wines.

The trends in the quality of Cap Classique, as perceived by the respective tasting panels, are

illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 below. Figure 7 shows the overall ratings for Cap Classique in

WINE Magazine. Figure 8 shows the total number of wines submitted for WINE Magazine

tastings versus the number of wines scoring greater than fifteen and less than fourteen. The

data for this graph was not converted to percentages. Figure 9 shows the overall Veritas

ratings.

22

Figure 7: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: WINE Magazine (overall)

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

No.

win

es (%

)

17+16+15.5+15+14.5+14+13+<13

23

Figure 8: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: WINE Magazine

No obvious trends can be seen in the overall data from the Wine Magazine tastings (Figure

8), but the number of wines scoring over fifteen appears to increase, while the number of

wines scoring less than fourteen appears to decrease between 1998 and 2008.

What is significant, however, is that when the trends are examined more closely, it can be

seen that there is an overall increase of about sixty-five percent in the number of wines

submitted for the tasting over the eleven years under review. This corresponds to the

increasing trend observed in the number of Cap Classique wines produced.

While there is an overall increase in the number of wines scoring over fifteen of about eighty

percent between 1998 and 2008, the trend switches from an increase up to 2002 to a slight

decrease in subsequent years. The earlier increasing trend is due to producers gaining

experience with the production of Cap Classique, leading to improved viticultural techniques,

more careful pressing of the grapes, improved blending of the base cuvée, more time on the

lees before disgorging and better management of the dosage (Eedes, 2002B). The latter

trend could be attributed to the increasing number of producers of Cap Classique, where lack

of experience in vinifying Cap Classique is showing. Another contributing factor could be

producers releasing wines after shorter time on the lees, due to demand (Eedes, 2008).

At a maximum of ten percent, the number of wines scoring less than fourteen remains a

small percentage of the total number of wines. Such small numbers make identifying trends

questionable.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Year

No.

WIn

esTotal wines enteredWines scoring >15Wines scoring <14

24

Figure 9: Trends in quality of Cap Classique: Veritas Awards

Although there is an overall increase of seventy-two percent in the number of wines receiving

Veritas awards, there are fluctuations in the trends, particularly between 1999 and 2002.

Given that the total number of wines submitted for rating in any given year is unknown,

drawing conclusions from this data would be questionable. This can possibly be taken to be

a factor of inconsistency of judging, which is one of the reasons the Vertitas awards are

considered to be controversial (McDonald, 2004).

3.4. Summary

In brief, there has been an increase of over one hundred percent in the number of brands of

Cap Classique produced in South Africa in the period under review. The wines are mainly

blended between grape varieties and are produced largely in Stellenbosch. There has also

been an increase in the perceived overall quality of the wines. A detailed summary follows

below.

Between 1998 and 2009 there was an increase of one hundred and thirty-five percent in the

number of brands of Cap Classique produced. The increase was a constant trend over the

twelve years, showing steeper increases from 2005 to 2009. This corresponds with

increasing South African wine production in general. It is significant that the increase in the

popularity of Cap Classique is more marked than that for still wine and this can be attributed

0

5

10

15

20

25

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

No

win

es

Year

17+ (Double Gold)

17 (Gold)

16 (Silver)

15 (Bronze)

Total

25

to increased demand, fuelled by the global ’premiumisation‘ trend and increased marketing of

sparkling wine as a lifestyle product.

Of the total brands produced, most were white, Brut styled wines from both red and white

grape cultivars. Blanc de Blancs and Rosé styled wines increased in popularity over the

period. The increase in Rosé Cap Classique can be attributed to global increase in popularity

of all Rosé wine. The numbers of Sweet and Red Cap Classique brands remain relatively

insignificant, with a maximum of three and two brands available at any one time.

Stellenbosch is the most significant production area of Cap Classique, followed by

Franschhoek. This is in line with the perception of Stellenbosch as South Africa’s premium

wine region. Other areas showing significant increases in the number of brands produced are

Constantia, Paarl and Robertson.

The number of Cap Classique wines submitted for rating by WINE magazine increased by

sixty-five percent between 1998 and 2008. On average, over sixty percent of the wines rated

each year received score of over fifteen. The increase in the number of wines scoring over

fifteen over the eleven year period is about eighty percent. While the overall trend is an

increase in scores, the trend is not constant, and shows a decrease for the years subsequent

to 2004. The overall increase is due to the maturation of the Cap Classique industry,

resulting in cleaner, more consistent wines. In later years, increase in demand for the wines

seems to have impacted slightly negatively on the scores, with several new producers

entering the market and wines being released earlier.

26

4. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Carbonated Wines

This section deals with the examination of trends in carbonated sparkling wine production

and perceived quality.

The data was drawn from the following sources:

• Platter’s South African Wine Guide, 1998 to 2009.

• South African Wine Industry Statistics, 1998 to 2009.

• Veritas Awards, 1998 to 2008.

Data was captured as provided by the various sources. The data is assumed to be free of

errors and omissions. Where necessary, data was recalculated to percentage or different

units of reporting to facilitate use and understanding.

As far as possible, data is tabulated and presented graphically. It should be noted that due to

the relatively small numbers involved, small fluctuations in the number of brands can show

an apparently significant fluctuation in the trend.

4.1. Trends in Styles Produced

The object of this section is to identify whether there are any definite trends to be observed in

the styles of carbonate sparkling wine produced since 1998. All data was drawn from the

Platter’s South African Wine Guide from the 1998 edition to the 2009 edition. Where the

author knew certainly otherwise, rectifications were made for omissions and errors.


• The wines were divided into the following style categories:

o Dry White: white carbonated sparkling wines with residual sugar less than

fifteen grams per litre.

o Dry Rosé: pink carbonated sparkling wines with residual sugar less than


o Sweet white: white carbonated sparkling wines with residual sugar greater

than fifteen grams per litre.

o Sweet Rosé: pink carbonated sparkling wines with residual sugar greater than


o Red: any red carbonated sparkling wine.

27


Table 5: Styles of carbonated sparkling wine

Year Style as number of brands

Dry White Dry Rosé Sweet white

Sweet Rosé Red

1998 28 2 76 15 4 1999 23 1 55 15 4

2000 26 2 53 12 5

2001 30 2 55 9 4

2002 29 2 58 10 4

2003 25 2 50 13 3

2004 25 2 42 12 2

2005 25 2 37 11 1

2006 26 2 36 11 2

2007 26 2 39 11 2

2008 24 3 34 14 2

2009 25 7 32 16 4

Sweet White sparkling wine is the largest category of these, followed by Dry White and then

Sweet Rosé. Dry Rosé is a relatively insignificant category as the maximum number of

brands in any given year is seven. Sparkling Red wine is the smallest of all the categories,

with a maximum of five brands in any year. The trend in the total production is illustrated in

Figure 10.

The overall trend between 1998 and 2009 is a decreasing one of over thirty percent with

minor fluctuations between 2000 and 2003 and 2006 and 2008. It should not be assumed

that a decrease in the number of available brands indicates a decrease in production volume.

Based on the constant increase in consumption (see Section 6), it can be deduced that there

has been an increase in production. There has been a general trend in the South African

wine industry of wineries reducing the portfolio of wine produced: while some brands were

culled, production of others has increased.

28

Figure 10: Overall trend in number of carbonated brands

The trends in the various styles of carbonated sparkling wine are illustrated in Figures 11 to

13 below. Figure 11 shows the information for all styles of the wine. Figure 12 shows the

trends in the number of brands available for Dry and Sweet White and Figure 13 shows the

trends for Dry and Sweet Rosé, in order to more clearly demonstrate the trends for these

wines.

Figure 11: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: all styles

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009Year

Dry White

Dry Rosé

Sweet White

Sweet Rosé

Red

29

Figure 12: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: Dry and Sweet White

The number of brands of Dry White has remained more or less constant over the twelve

years under review. The overall trend for the number of Sweet White brands is a decrease of

just under sixty percent. This decrease is the main contributor to the overall decrease in the

number of brands of carbonated sparkling wines.

As can be seen in Figure 13 below, the number of brands of Dry Rosé remained constant

until 2007, after which there is an increasing trend. This can be ascribed to the global

increase in the popularity of Rosé, which has partly manifested in South Africa as a

consumer move to the consumption of drier Rosé style wines (Lourens, 2007).

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

Dry W hiteSweet W hite

30

Figure 13: Trends in styles of carbonated sparkling wine: Dry and Sweet Rosé

4.2. Trends In Area of Producti on


observed in the areas in which carbonated sparkling wine has been produced since 1998. All

data was drawn from the Platter’s South African Wine Guide from 1998 to 2009. Where the

author knew certainly otherwise, rectifications were made for omissions and errors.


• Where no information was available about the origin of the wine, it was taken to be of

origin Western Cape.

• The following abbreviations are used for areas:

o Kar: Klein Karoo.

o OR: Olifants River.

o Paarl: Paarl.

o Rob: Robertson.

o Stell: Stellenbosch.

o Wor: Worcester and Breedekloof.

o WC: Western Cape.

o Other: Darling, Franschhoek, Northern Cape, Swartland, Tulbagh, Wellington.

0

5

10

15

20

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

Dry RoséSweet Rosé

31

A summary of the data is presented in Table 6 below. Table 6: Areas of production of carbonated sparkling wine

Year Area of production as number of brands

Kar OR Paarl Rob Stell Wor WC Other

1998 10 13 4 17 15 10 35 21

1999 7 9 4 17 5 11 26 19

2000 10 6 4 16 11 10 23 18

2001 9 6 4 15 16 10 24 20

2002 9 7 5 13 12 18 23 17

2003 7 3 6 13 11 14 19 15

2004 7 3 3 18 7 14 14 17

2005 8 5 3 22 5 13 9 11

2006 8 5 4 20 5 14 12 9

2007 9 5 5 19 5 16 12 9

2008 6 1 5 20 6 16 16 8

2009 8 1 7 22 5 13 17 9

Increasing numbers of carbonated sparkling wine brands are produced in Robertson and

Worcester/Breedekloof. This reflects the grape growing statistics for these areas (SAWIS,

2009). The decrease in the number of brands from Stellenbosch reflects the focus on

premium quality wines in the area. There have also been decreases on the number of brands

produced in the Klein Karoo and Olifants River areas. The relatively high number of brands

listed as origin Western Cape can be attributed to wine producers such as Distell. While the

total number of brands has decreased in the period, three of the biggest selling South African

sparkling wine brands are sold as coming from this area. It is important to note that these

figures may be skewed by the number of producers who make more than one brand and/or

style of carbonated sparkling wine, such as J.C. Le Roux and Van Loveren

The trends in the area of production of carbonated sparkling wine are illustrated in Figure 14

below.

32

Figure 14: Trends in areas of production of carbonated sparkling wine

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

No. B

rand

s

Year

Kar

OR

Paarl

Rob

Stell

Wor

WC

Other

33

4.3. Trends in Quality

The objective of this section is to identify whether there are any definite trends to be observed

in perceived quality of carbonated sparkling wine produced since 1998. All data was drawn

from the Veritas Awards, 1998-2008. At the time of writing, 2009 data was not available. It is

assumed that the data is free of omissions and errors.


• It is assumed that the wines rated are made by carbonation.

• Star ratings and medals were converted to the equivalent score on the 20-point

system.

• Figures given are of wines awarded, as the information regarding the total number of

wines was not available


Table 7: Veritas ratings of Sparkling wine

Number of wines awarded Medal Double Gold Gold Silver Bronze Total Score 17+ 17 16 15

1998 0 0 3 4 7

1999 0 1 12 3 16

2000 0 0 9 13 22

2001 0 2 7 15 24

2002 0 0 3 6 9

2003 0 0 2 4 6

2004 0 0 2 3 5

2005 0 0 2 6 8

2006 0 0 3 4 7

2007 0 0 0 8 8

2008 0 0 1 4 5

Only the Veritas Awards have had category tastings for sparkling wine made by methods other

than the traditional method over the eleven years under review. The trends in the perceived

quality of carbonated sparkling wine are illustrated in Figure 15 below.

34

Figure 15: Trends in quality of carbonated sparkling wine: Veritas Awards

While the number of wines awarded increased between 1998 and 2001, there was a sharp

drop from 2001 to 2002 and since then less than ten wines have been awarded in any given

year. Given that the total number of wines submitted for rating is unknown, drawing

conclusions from this data would be questionable. This can possibly be taken to be a factor of

inconsistency of judging, which is one of the reasons the Vertitas awards are considered to be

controversial (McDonald, 2004).

These wines comprise the bulk of the South African sparkling wine market with increasing

consumption shown over the period under review (see Section 6). In the light of this and given

the general improvement in viticulture and viniculture in South Africa, it is unlikely that the

quality of carbonated sparkling wines has decreased overall.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

No

win

es

Year

17+ (Double Gold)

17 (Gold)

16 (Silver)

15 (Bronze)

Total

35

4.4. Summary

In brief, there has been a decrease of over percent in the total number of brands of carbonated

sparkling wine produced in South Africa over the twelve years examined here, although

production volume over the corresponding period has increased. Most of the wine is sweet

and white, produced in the Breede River Valley and the market is dominated by a few brands.

It was not possible to draw any conclusion regarding quality from the available rating data,

although it is likely that this has improved. A detailed summary is provided below.

Between 1998 and 2009 there was a decrease of about thirty-three percent in the number of

brands of carbonated sparkling wine produced. The decrease was a constant trend over the

twelve years and can be attributed to the general trend of producers reducing portfolios.

Most of the wine produced is sweet and white. The next biggest category is Dry White,

followed by Sweet Rosé. Red and Dry Rosé are relatively insignificant, although the latter

shows an increasing trend. The number of brands of Sweet White has decreased between

1998 and 2009, while those for Dry White and Sweet Rosé have remained constant.

The local market is dominated by three brands: Fifth Avenue Cold Duck, Grand Mousseux and

J. C. le Roux (La Chanson and Le Domaine, in particular). Of these, all are sweet, two are

white, one pink and one red.

Robertson and Worcester/Breedekloof are the most significant production areas of carbonated

sparkling wine. The number of brands produced in the Stellenbosch, Klein Karoo and Olifants

River areas has decreased, as has the number of brands listed as origin Western Cape.

No conclusions can be drawn from the available rating data of the perceived quality of the

wines. It is, however, likely that this has improved over the twelve year period under review, in

part due to general improvements in viticultural and vinification techniques.

36

5. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Wines made by other methods

This section deals with the examination of trends in sparkling wine produced by methods other

than the traditional method and carbonation. The data was drawn from the Platter’s South

African Wine Guide, 1998-2009. Data was captured as provided by the source. It is assumed

that the data is free of errors and omissions.

In South Africa, between 1998 and 2009, sparkling wines were produced by only two other

methods, namely, Charmat and Transfer.

In any of the twelve years under review, no more than five wines were produced by the

Charmat method and only one wine was produced by the Transfer method. The small

numbers make the analysis of trends questionable.

The trends for are shown in Figure 16 below.

Figure 16: Trends in Charmat and Transfer method wines

The only wine made by the Transfer method between 1998 and 2009 was from Paarl. There is

currently no South Africana sparkling wine made using this method. The increasing

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

No.

Bra

nds

CharmatTransfer

37

introduction of gyropalettes into the sparkling wine industry has made the method almost

redundant.

The trends in Charmat method wines show an overall decrease to 2004, with a resurgence,

albeit small, from 2007. Provided the requisite equipment is available, it is simpler, faster and

less expensive to produce sparkling wines using the Charmat method (Robinson, 1999), which

may explain the resurgence. The wines made by this method in the twelve year period under

review have been classified as having origin, in order of decreasing number of wines, Western

Cape, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

Given that so few wines were made using the Transfer and Charmat methods between 1998

and 2009, trends in quality were not examined.

In summary, very few wines are made by either the Transfer or Charmat methods in South

Africa, although there has been a resurgence in the latter method since 2007. Most of the wine

is classified as being of origin Western Cape. Perceived quality was not examined.

38

6. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Domestic Sales and Consumption


in the domestic sales and consumption of sparkling wine produced between 1998 and 2008.

At the time of writing, there was no data available for 2009.

6.1. Sales, Consumption and Price

All data was drawn from the South African Wine Industry Statistics 1999 to 2009. It is

assumed that the data is free of omissions and errors. For the purposes of this section, the

following conventions were adopted:

• Values in the South African Wine Industry Statistics were converted from litres to

megalitres, where appropriate.

• Prices were converted to cents per litre.

A summary of the domestic sales and consumption data is presented in Table 8 below.

Information for the split between Cap Classique and other sparkling wine is only provided from

2002. It should be noted that the sum of the data for Cap Classique and sparkling wine does

not correspond with the totals given.

Table 8: Domestic sales and consumption of sparkling wine

Year Volume (Megali tres) Per Capita

Consumption (Litres) Total Cap Classique Other Sparkling

1998 8.207 0.20

1999 9.338 0.23

2000 5.605 0.13

2001 6.193 0.15

2002 7.327 1.106 5.911 0.17

2003 7.500 1.253 6.042 0.17

2004 7.688 1.525 6.441 0.17

2005 8.431 1.560 6.642 0.18

2006 8.600 1.497 6.709 0.19

2007 9.450 1.771 7.385 0.20

2008 10.10 1.764 7.943 0.22

39

The domestic sales trends are shown in Figures 17 and 18 below. Figure 17 shows the

domestic sales trend for all sparkling wines and Figure 18 shows the trends for Cap Classique

and other sparkling wines.

Figure 17: Trends in domestic sales: total

The volume of sparkling wine consumed in South Africa has increased by over twenty percent

from 1998 to 2008. The total sparkling wine sales show a fourteen percent increase from 1998

to 1999, which can be ascribed to the “Millenium” celebrations. There is then a sharp drop in

2000, followed by a steady trend of increase up to 2008.

Of the total volume of sparkling wine consumed in South Africa, the volume of sparkling wine

produced by other methods (mainly carbonation) is far larger than that for Cap Classique (see

Figure 18 below), although the difference has dropped over the seven years under

consideration. The increase in domestic sales of all sparkling wine is mirrored by both Cap

Classique and other sparkling wines between 2002 and 2008. The increase in the seven year

period is about sixty and thirty-four percent for the respective styles of wine. This increase

does not follow the trends for total wine sales, which showed a decreasing trend up to 2007

(SAWIS, 2009).

The increasing trend in sparkling wines sales confirms data trends seen in the number of

brands produced (see Section 3.1). The same reasons for the trend are applicable, namely:

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Volu

me

(Ml)

Year

40

‘premiumisation’. consumer education and marketing of sparkling wine as a lifestyle product

(Bottega, 2009; Eedes, 2007A; Eedes 2007B; Eedes, 2008; Latimer, 2008).

Figure 18: Domestic sales of Cap Classique and other sparkling wine

The trends in domestic per capita consumption are shown in Figure 19 below.

Figure 19: Domestic per capita consumption of sparkling wine

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Volu

me

(Ml)

Year

Cap Classique

Other Sparkling

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Volu

me

(l)

Year

41

As could be expected, the trend in per capita consumption of sparkling wine closely mirrors

those found in the domestic sales. This contrasts with the per capita consumption of still wine,

which shows an overall decreasing trend between 1998 and 2008 (SAWIS, 2009). This further

confirms the growth of sparkling wine as a category in South Africa.

It is interesting to note that sales and consumption of sparkling wine have increased in spite of

an increase in the price per litre of the wines and increasing tax levies. The data is shown in

Table 9 and Figure 20.

Table 9: Price per litre of domestic sparkling wine

Year Price per Litre (cents)

Cap Classique Other Sparkling

1998 3.62 1.88 1999 3.76 2.04 2000 3.77 2.07 2001 4.14 2.22 2002 4.02 2.63 2003 4.22 3.03 2004 4.10 3.30 2005 4.51 3.39 2006 5.43 3.57 2007 5.98 3.79 2008 7.07 3.99

The price per litre for Cap Classique is higher than that for other sparkling wine, although the

difference varies over the eleven years under review. The prices per litre of both Cap

Classique and other sparkling wine show an overall increasing trend between 1998 and 2008.

The trend for Cap Classique increases sharply from 2005, as consumer resistance to higher

prices seems to drop (McDonald, 2006). While the trend for other sparkling wines is less

steep, the increase in price between 1998 and 2009, is over one hundred and ten percent

compared to about ninety-five percent for Cap Classique. These trends correspond with those

observed for still wines, although the increase for Cap Classique is somewhat higher (SAWIS,

2009).

42

Figure 20: Trends in the price per litre of sparkling wine

6.2. The Emerging Black Market

There has recently been a lot of research done into growing the domestic consumption of wine

in the emerging black market, in particular the segment comprising the middle class (the so-

called ‘Black Diamonds ’). This segment represents just under thirty percent of South African

buying power and spend almost half on alcohol and tobacco products (Foxcroft, 2009).

The consumption of sparkling wine is relatively low, with only fifteen percent of respondents at

the 2007 Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival preferring this category (Ndanga, 2009).

Unfortunately no indication was given as to the preferred style of wine. There are however,

recognised sparkling wine brands in the townships, namely J.C. le Roux (Foxcroft, 2009) and

KWV (Ndanga, 2009), with the latest releases from the well-established Four Cousins brand

made by Van Loveren likely to follow suit.

The ‘Black Diamonds ’ as wine drinkers tend to be aspirational, brand loyal and not overly

sensitive to price point (Foxcroft, 2009; Ndanga, 2009), all of which would indicate a

potentially very good target market for sparkling wine, provided any campaigns are carefully

planned to appeal.

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Pric

e pe

r Litr

e (c

)

Year

Cap Classique

Other Sparkling

43

6.3. Summary

There has been a twenty-three percent increase in the total volume of sparkling wine sold in

South Africa between 1998 and 2008, with both Cap Classique and other sparkling wine

showing positive trends. There has been a ten percent increase in the per capita consumption

over the same period. This corresponds with trend data discussed in Sections 3 and 4, and the

same reasons apply (‘premiumisation’, education and marketing). These increasing

consumption trends are in spite of increasing wine prices.

Targeting the emerging Black market will be important for the future of South African sparkling

wine. Brands already established include J.C. le Roux and KWV (Foxcroft, 2009, Ndanga,

2009).

44

7. Trends in Sparkling Wine: Exports and Imports


in exports and imports of sparkling wine between 1998 and 2008. At the time of writing, data

for 2009 was incomplete. All data was drawn from the South African Wine Industry Statistics

1999 to 2009. The data is assumed to be free of omissions and errors. For the purposes of

this section, values in the South African Wine Industry Statistics were converted from litres to

megalitres, where appropriate.

7.1. Exports

A summary of the sparkling wine import data is presented in Table 10 and Figure 21 below.

Table 10: Volume of sparkling wine exported

Year Volume Exported (Megalitres)

1998 0.525

1999 0.810

2000 0.685

2001 0.779

2002 1.361

2003 1.565

2004 1.553

2005 1.538

2006 2.018

2007 2.779

2008 3.952

The trend in exports of sparkling wine is one of increase over the eleven year period under

review. With the exception of a peak in 1999, the trend is constant, becoming steeper after

2005. The 1999 peak was caused by demand fuelled by “Millennium” celebrations. The

increase in sparkling wine exports follows a similar positive trend for total South African wine

exports.

45

Figure 21: Trends in sparkling wine exports

The increase in South African wine exports were in general fuelled by favourable currency

exchange rates, sales in an increasing number of European countries, sales in emerging

markets such as sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, and the demand for Rosé wine

(SouthAfrica.info, 2008).

7.2. Imports

A summary of the sparkling wine import data is presented in Table 11 and Figure 22 below.

While the overall trend between 1998 and 2008 is one of increase, there are considerable

fluctuations over the period. The first of these is an increase of almost two-hundred percent

between 1998 and 1999, attributable to the import of mainly Champagne for the “Millennium”

celebrations. After that the volume drops and remains more or less constant until 2004 to

2006, where the volume fluctuates from year to year. There is another large increase in 2007,

of over one hundred and seventy percent which corresponds with peaks in production and

export of Champagne (CIVC, 2009).

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Volu

me

(Ml)

Year

46

Table 11: Volumes of sparkling wine imported

Year Volume Imported (Megalitres)

1998 0.106

1999 0.305

2000 0.111

2001 0.151

2002 0.122

2003 0.137

2004 0.316

2005 0.200

2006 0.273

2007 0.756

2008 0.611

Figure 22: Trends in sparkling wine imports

The overall trend of increase can be ascribed to the same reasons as to increase in sale of

Cap Classique, the increasing number of consumers aspiring to a more luxurious lifestyle of

which Champagne is a strong icon (Eedes, 2007B; Bottega, 2009). Champagne imports to

South Africa are dominated by Moët et Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, which make up more

than half of the imports (Colmant, 2009).

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Volu

me

(Ml)

Year

47

7.3. Summary Exports of South African sparkling wines wine have shown an increase of over six hundred

and fifty percent in volume between 1998 and 2008. This follows a similar positive trend for

other South wine exports. The increase can be attributed to increased sales in traditional and

emerging markets and a favourable currency exchange rate (SouthAfrica.info, 2008).

While there is an overall increase in the imports of sparkling wines into South Africa, there are

considerable fluctuations. The increase is influenced by similar factors as that for the increase

production and consumption of Cap Classique. Most the wine imported is Champagne and two

houses dominate the market.

48

8. Trends in Sparkling Wine: The Future

This section aims to identify possible future trends in sparkling wine in South Africa.

Before the onset of a global recession, the outlook for sparkling wine was overwhelmingly

positive. Production, both in volume and the number of brands available, was set to increase

(SAWIS, September 2007). Consumption was on the rise, despite increases in prices and tax

levies, and new markets to be tapped were discovered.

At the time of writing, the world was in an economic recession and there is little doubt this has

impacted on sales of wine, and in particular, premium wines such as Champagne (OIV, 2009).

South African industry as a whole has not been as badly affected as that in some countries,

but the local wine industry is definitely feeling the pinch (Budd, 2009; White, 2009).

Consumers have less income to spend and so products perceived as luxuries, such as

alcohol, are suffering. It is not so much that consumers are not buying, it is that they are

buying less, or ’trading down‘ to less expensive brands.

At the time of writing, insufficient data was available to predict with any certainty what will

happen over the next few years. It is likely that the positive trends in production for sparkling

wine will continue, particularly where Cap Classique is concerned, if for no other reason than

the relatively large lag period between production and release of the wines.

While sweet, white carbonated sparkling wine will continue to dominate the industry, the

market portions being held by drier wines and the more premium Cap Classique wines will

increase. The escalating trends seen in Blanc de Blanc and Rosé wines will continue, although

the latter will begin to flatten out in line with international markets.

Production, especially of the higher quality wines, will continue to shift to premium quality

growing areas, particularly cooler ones. Continuing improvements in viticulture and vinification,

as well as developing experience in the production of the wines, and increased insight into

factors contributing to quality, will result in improving quality of the wines.

While the impact of the global recession on exports of sparkling wine will continue to be felt for

some time to come, the situation will eventually improve, as it has done in the past. In the

interim, focus on local markets, and in particular the emerging black middle class, will be

critical.

49

9. Summary and conclusion

There is little doubt that the South African sparkling wine industry has experienced a boom in

the past few years; domestic sales and consumption have risen steadily since 2000. There is a

proliferation of both local and imported brands on the market.

Cap Classique has gone from strength to strength. There have been significant increases in

both the volumes produced and the number of brands available. The market is still dominated

by white Cap Classique made from red and white cultivars, but there has been a steady

increase in Blanc de Blancs and especially Rosé. These trends follow the global trends in the

popularity of Champagne and still Rosé, and can also be attributed to the local market

benefitting from the marketing success of a single brand; Pongrácz (Eedes, 2007B). Sweet

and red Cap Classique is also produced, and the former is becoming an increasingly important

style if volumes are taken into account.

Stellenbosch has emerged as the premium area for Cap Classique, followed by Franschhoek.

Robertson and Constantia have been identified as emerging areas for the production of quality

Cap Classique.

In an overview of WINE magazine tastings between 1998 and 2008, Cap Classique has been

repeatedly praised for offering quality, consistency and value.

Carbonated sparkling wine has seen similar, if rather more sedate, growth over the same time

period, although the number of brands available has decreased. Most of the wine available is

sweet and white. The local market is dominated by a handful of brands, of which J. C. le Roux

is the most prominent. Dry White, Dry Rosé, Sweet Rosé and Red carbonated wines are also

made, of which Dry White is the largest category followed by Sweet Rosé.

Most carbonated sparkling wine brands are produced in Robertson and the

Worcester/Breedekloof area. Many of the dominant brands are, however, labelled as origin

Western Cape.

In South Africa, the price per litre of Cap Classique increased by ninety-five percent between

1998 and 2008. The price per litre of carbonated wine increased by over one hundred and ten

percent over the same period. In spite of this domestic sales and per capita consumption of

Cap Classique and other sparkling wines haves increased.

50

Exports of South African sparkling wine show positive trend between 1998 and 2008. This can

be attributed to the success in imports of other South African wine, due to the emergence of

new markets and a favourable currency exchange rate. Imports of sparkling wine show an

overall increasing trend, but there is a lot of fluctuation. Peaks in the trend tend to correspond

with peaks in Champagne exports, which comprise the largest portion of imported sparkling

wine. Two brands dominate; Moët et Chandon and Veuve Clicquot (Colmant, 2009).

The underlying cause for the growth in the market can be summarised in one word;

’premiumisation‘. As the editor of WINE magazine (Eedes, 2008) put it, “Bubbly is bling and

bling is king...” The aspirational quality of these wines, and their association with a certain

lifestyle, have great appeal in these materialistic times. The upsurge in the demand for the

premium sparkling wines such as Champagne has had a knock-on effect on other categories

of sparkling wine.

Despite the impact of the global recession on world wine markets, the outlook for the South

African sparkling wine market is positive, with the emerging Black market becoming

increasingly important.

51

10. References

Bottega, S., “The Branding of Bubbles: Trends in Marketing Champagnes & Cap Classiques”,

as found at http://www.luxurynews.co.za/archives/202

Budd, L., Private communication, 2009

Coates, C., An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France, University of California

Press, 2000

Colmant, J., E-mail communication, 2009

CIVC, 2009 Champagne Update, March 2009

Dominé, A., Wine, Tandem Verlag GMBH, 2004

Eedes, C. “WINE Magazine Amorim Cap Classique Challenge”, WINE, October 2008, 134-135

Eedes, C., Gulp!, 16 March 2007 (B)A

Eedes, C. “WINE Magazine Amorim Cap Classique Challenge”, WINE, October 2007, 102-104

(A)

Eedes, C. “Reason to Celebrate”, WINE, December 2004, 19-22

Eedes, C., “First Among Equals”, WINE, October 2003, 151-154

Eedes, C., “The Spirit of Kaizan”, WINE, November 2002, 30-34 (A)

Eedes, C., “Proudly South African”, WINE, November 2002, 25-29 (B)

Encyclopædia Britannica Online, “ Wine”, 2009 as found at

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/645269/wine

Foxcroft, M., “Growing the consumption of wine amongst emerging market consumers in

South Africa”, CWM dissertation, 2009

52

Halliday, J., Johnson, H., The Art and Science of Wine, Mitchell Beazely, 1999

Hands, P., Hughes, D., Wines and Brandies of the Cape of Good Hope, Stephan Phillips,

1997

Hughes, D., “Snap, Crackle and Pop”, WINE, October 2005, 97-99

Kench, J., Hands, P., Hughes, D., The Complete Book of South African Wine, 1st edition, C.

Struik, 1983

Latimer, J. “ Bubble Head”, Good Taste, November 2008, 108-109

Lourens, K., “Focus on Rose”, Wineland, January 2001, as found at

http://www.wynboer.co.za/recentarticles/200701rose.php3

McDonald, F., “Top of the Pops”, WINE, October 2006, 87-89

McDonald, F., “Bursting with Bubbles”, WINE, November 2001, 46-53

Mossop, T., “Tasting the Stars”, WINE, October 2004, 29-32

Mossop, T., “Viva Cap Classique”, WINE, November 2000, 44-47

Mullins, A., “Sparkling Choices”, WINE, October 1999, 34-39

Ndanga, L., “Increasing domest ic consumption of South African Wines: Exploring the market

potential of the emerging Black middle class”, M.Sc. thesis, University of Pretoria, 2009

OIV, “State of Vitiviniculture world report”, March 2009, as found at

http://news.reseau-concept.net/images/oiv_uk/Client/2009_note_conj_mars_EN_compilee.pdf

Platter, E. (ed.), John Platter South African Wines 2008, The John Platter SA Wine Guide,

1997

Rankine, B., Making Good Wine, Pan MacMillan Australia, 2002

53

Robinson, J. (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 1999

SouthAfrica.info, “South African Wine Exports Soar”, September 2008, as found at

http://www.southafrica.info/business/trade/export/wine-080908.htm

South African Government (1990). Regulations promulgated under section 27 of the Liquor

Products Act, No. 60 of 1989. 29 June. Published by Government Notice No. R1433,as

amended.

SAWIS, South African Wine Industry Statistics, 2009










Stevenson, T., The New Southeby’s Wine Encyclopedia, Dorling Kindersley, 1999

Van Tonder, I., “Marvellous Sparklers” WINE, December 1998, 54-62

Van Zyl, P. (ed.), Platter’s South African Wines 2009, The John Platter SA Wine Guide, 2008

Van Zyl, P. (ed.), Platter’s South African Wines 2008, The John Platter SA Wine Guide, 2007

54

Van Zyl, P. (ed.), John Platter South African Wines 2007, The John Platter SA Wine Guide,

2006


2005


2004


2003


2002


2001


2000


1999


1998

White, C., Private communication, 2009.

Wikipedia, “Sparkling Wine”, 2009, as found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkling_wine

55

11. Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the following for prompt responses to requests for information: Bonita

Flores of SAWIS, Jean-Philippe Colmant of Colmant Cap Classique and Champagne, Danelle

van Rensburg of Van Loveren, Liezl Dippenaar of Distell, Jeff of Cabriere, Sam Hackney of

Boutique wines and Fiona Phiilips of Cybercellar.

Thank you to Margaret for sensible advice.

Thank you also to all the Wild Yeasts, without whom none of this would have happened.

Thanks are due also to Monica and Faye, for help when it was most needed, and to Caryn, for

support and encouragement.

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